Cutting machine



Dec. 19, 1933. HlMoFF 1,940,493

CUTTING MACHINE 0 Filed April 25, 1932 ymmvroza.

y .19 W ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT 3 OFFICE, g

CUTTING MACHINE Hyman H. H imoff, New York, Y. Application April 25, 1932. Serial No. 607,267

6 Claims. (01. 146-159) This invention relates to cutting machines such as tobacco cutting and the like machines. It is particularly directed to a knife carriage device for a tobacco cutting machine. 1

An object of this invention is to provide in a machine of the character described, a knife carriage having a device for clamping the cutting or shearingknifeto the carriage. and adapted to be adjusted with one hand of the operator whereby the knife may be moved to the proper position and held in such position with the other hand while the clamping device is actuated.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a machine of the character described, a compact, neat and rugged knife clamping device which shall comprise comparatively few and simple parts, be easy and simple to manipulate, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, smooth and positive in operation, and practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter be pointed out. The invention accordingly consists inthe features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructicn'hereinafter described, and'of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims. 1 H

- In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of. this invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of 'a tobacco cuttingmachine embody: ing the invention, with parts in cross-section;

Fig; 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; t

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3-3 of .Fig. 1;.and

Fig; 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. a

' Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a portion of a tobacco cutting machine provided with aqknife clamping mechanism 11 embodying the invention and forming part of the knife carriage 11a. Machines of the general typeshown: in Fig. 1, arewell knownand consist generally of 'aframe 11b. on which there is mounted in any suitable manner, a horizontal platform-12 on which is placed tobacco to be cut. The tobacco is'usuallypushed forwardly on said platform onto a roller 13 having a corrugated peripheral surface and which carries the tobacco forwardly onto a shearing platform 14 having an edge 15. 1 Additional rollers may be provided if desired, to. push the tobacco downwardly against the top of the roller 13 for compressing the same whereby. a compressed layer oftobacco may be pushed forwardly on top of "the shearing platform 14; i

There is further rotatably mounted on the 6 frame 11a, a crank shaft 17 to one end of which there is attached a wheel 18 adapted to receive a belt for rotating the crank shaft. The :crank shaft 17 may be provided withanoffset crank arm 19 to which there is pivotally attached one end 20 of a connecting rodor link 21 adapted to support the knife carriage 11a. At the lower end of said connecting link 21 is: an elongated member 22 having a central knuckle 23 at the upper end thereof pivoted to said lower end of said link. Attached to the opposite ends25 of said member .22 are a pair ofsimilar, angle-shaped parallel members 26 having vertical arms 27 bolted as at 28 to said ends, and elongated arms 29 pivoted at the outer end thereof toa fixed portion of the frame, as at 30. It will now be-understood that as the crank shaft 1'7 isrotated, the carriage 11a will be moved up and down or oscillated about the pivoted outer endsBOof members 26..

It will be noted that the member 2215 located directly above. the shearing platform 14 so that the tobacco'is fed forwardly between the shear- 5 ing platform and the lower edge orside 32 of .said member22. The front'face33 of saidmember 22 is provided with a wide groove 34 of slight depth and forming vertical ends 35 for the groove slidably receiving the cuttingknifeiilfitherebe tween. Said knife 36 is wide and fiat and is provided with an opening 38 adjacent the top edge thereof and with a cutting edge'39 at the bottom edge thereof. The knife preferably slidably and loosely fits within the groove 34 and between the member 22 and said clamping device 11, and may i be moved to the proper height to permit said clamping device to clamp said knife against said member 22 in the manner hereinafter appearing, for shearing the tobacco passing over the platform 14 as the crank shaft 17 is rotated.

My improved knife clamping device 11 will now be described. Said device comprises a casing 42 having a top wall. 43, a bottom wall 44. and .end. walls 45 and 46. The casing is further'provided with afront wall having aligned portions 49 and asubstantially semi-cylindrical portion 50;

interconnecting said aligned portions. Said casing is open in the front and is attached at the ends thereof to the member 22 by means of said screws 51 extending through openings in the four corners of the casing, and screwed to said memu h r 22.. The knife 36 may thus be slidablymoved 55. The casing may further be provided with a pair of spaced parallel vertical wall portions 56 disposed'on opposite sides of the bearing opening and formed with semi-cylindrical bearing portions 57 and aligned vertical edges 58. Adjacent the end walls 44 and 45, the casing is provided with vertical wall portions 56a similar to the wall 56. The end walls 45 and 46 are provided with aligned bearing openings 59 and rotatably mounted at the ends thereof within said bearing openings, is a shaft 60, said shaft having portions 61 contacting the semi-cylindrical-portions 57 of the walls 56 and 56a. vStrap members 62 having aligned vertical portions 63 contacting the vertical edges 58'and semi-cylindrical bearing 7 portions 64 extending about the shaft portions 61, are screwed to said walls 56, 56a and serve to provide additional journals for said shaft. The portions 66 of said shaft disposed between the bearing members 56 and 56a are eccentric with respect to the portions 61 of the shaft and are preferably formed with a larger radius, the axis of said portions 66 beingoffset with respect to the axis-of said portion 61.

Fixed to said shaft 60 and disposed between the bearing walls 56 is a worm wheel 69. Rotatably mounted within said bearing opening 55 is a shaft 35" '70 extending beyond the boss 54 and attached to the extending portion is a hand wheel '72. The front end 75 of said shaft is supported by a member-76 attached to the walls 56 and having a bearing opening for receiving said end of said shaft. Fixed to said shaft 70 and disposed between the members and the front wall of the casing 42, is a worm-'77. Mounted on and fixed to said shaft'fii) and disposed between walls 56,

. is a worm wheeli69 meshing with said worm 77.

It w'ill now be understood that rotation of the hand wheel 72 will cause the worm wheel to rotate for rotating the shaft 60. Theportions 66 of said shaft 60 are preferably similar in shape and the axes of said portions 66 are further preferably'in alignment. l Rotatably mounted on each of'said portions 66 of the shaft 60 is a wedging member 30 having a bearing opening 81 for receiving said portion of said shaft. Each member'SO is-provided with a rear, substantially vertical face 82, and attached to each face are a pair of spacedparallelvertical strips 84 having knurled front gripping surfaces.

It will be noted that the gripping'surfaces of said strips 84 substantially-lie againstthe knife 36. In

.Fig. 2, the wedging members '80 are shown as pressingthe knife against the member 22 for clamping the knife thereto. tating'the hand wheel '72 the shaft 60 will be rotated for'releasing the wedging members from the knife to permit withdrawal or adjustment ofthe knife.

With the shaft 60turned. substantially 180 fromthe position shown in" Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the

,highpart of the, eccentric shaft portions 66 will turn'toward the left, looking atthe drawing, and thewedging members will likewise be moved to the left, said'members being prevented from rotation on the shaft-by pins 88,1'ixed to the easing and contacting the under sides of said members80. The knife maybe held in one hand, the

However, upon roshaft 17 will thereafter cause the knife carriage to be reciprocated for shearing the tobacco passing over the platform 14. Thus the single adjusting or releasing wheel 72 serves to tightly clamp the knife to the knife carriage or to release the same, permitting the freedom of one hand for manipulating the knife.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention'are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes inightbe made in'the embodiment set forth, it

is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to beinterpreted as illustrative andnot in a limiting sense. 1

Having thus described my invention,iI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

lbln'a tobacco cutting'machine, a member, a casing having an open end attached to said memher, a flat cuttingknife slidably interposed between said member and the open end of .said cas ing, and means on saidcasing for clamping the knife tosaid member, said means :comprising'a shaft rotatably mounted within said casingand having an eccentric portion, and a'wedging member having a bearing receiving said eccentric por: tion therethrough, said wedging member having a'portion adapted to contact said knife, and means for rotating said shaft forpressing said portion of said wedging member'against said knife for said knife, a worm wheel mountedon 'saidshaft, a secondshaft rotatablymounted on said second member and having a worm meshing with said worm wheel, and a'hand wheel fixed to said second shaft whereby rotation of said wheel will cause said first shaft to rotate forlmoving said clamping member'against said knife for clamping the same against said first member."

3. In a cutting machine, a membena casing having an open end attached to said member with the open end of said casing toward said member, a knife interposed between the open end of said casing and said member, a shaft rotatably mounted within said casing and disposed parallel to said member, said shaft having a pair of spaced similar eccentric portions, and a pair of spaced clamping members having bearing openings receiving said eccentricportions of said shaft therethrough and adapted to contact said knife. 4. In a cutting machine, a member, a casing having an open end attached to said member with the open end of said casing toward said member,

a knife interposed between said open, end of said casing and said member, a shaft rotatably mounted within said casing and disposed parallel to said member, said shaft having a pair of spaced similar eccentric portions, and a pair of spaced clamping members having bearing openings receiving said eccentric portions of said shaft therethrough and adapted to contact said knife, and means for rotating said shaft for pressing said clamping members against said knife to clamp the same to said member, said means comprising a worm wheel fixed to said shaft, a second shaft mounted on said casing and disposed perpendicular to said first shaft, a worm on said second shaft meshing with said worm wheel, and a hand wheel mounted on said second shaft and disposed exteriorly of said casing.

5. In a cutting machine, a member, a casing having an open end attached to said member with the open end of said casing toward said member, a knife interposed between saidopen end of said casing and said member, a shaft rotatably mounted within said casing and disposed parallel to said member, said shaft having a pair of spaced similar eccentric portions, and a pairof spaced clamp-' ing members having bearing openings receiving said eccentric portions of said shaft therethrough and adapted to contact said knife, and means for rotating said shaft for pressing said clamping members against said knife to clamp the same to said member, said means comprising a worm wheel fixed to said shaft and disposed between said eccentric portions, a second shaft mounted on said casing and disposed perpendicular to said first shaft, a worm on said second shaft meshing with said worm wheel, and a hand wheel mounted oted member, a crank shaft rotatably mounted V on said frame and having an offset arm, a connecting link interconnecting said offset arm of said crank shaft with said second member whereby rotation of said crank shaft will cause oscillation of said second member about the pivotal connection for said pivoted member, a third member attached adjacent the ends thereof to said second member, a flat cutting knife slidably received between said second and third'members and having a cutting edge movable adjacent said cutting platform, and means for clamping saidv knife to said first member, said means comprising a shaft rotatably mounted on said third member and disposed parallel to said second member, said shaft having an eccentric portion, and a member having a bearing opening receiving said eccentric portion and adapted to contact said knife, and means for rotating said second shaft for pressing said wedging member against said knife to clamp the same to said second member.

HYMAN H. HIMOFF. 

